1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display having an illuminating device, and specifically to a liquid crystal display having a backlight.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, display devices using a liquid crystal panel, which is thinner than a CRT (cathode ray tube), have been widely used. The liquid crystal panel, not emitting light itself, displays an image by using external light or by being irradiated with light from an illuminating device.
Examples of illuminating devices for use in liquid crystal displays include the sidelight type backlight proposed in JP-A-2005-196989 (page 9, FIG. 7). This is used by being placed behind a liquid crystal panel, and is formed of a flat acrylic resin plate called a light guide plate and LEDs (light emitting diodes) that are placed on a lateral surface of the light guide plate to serve as a light source. Light emitted from the LEDs enters the light guide plate from its lateral surface to propagate through the inside of the light guide plate, and is then emitted from a light emitting surface formed on the top surface of the light guide plate to illuminate the liquid crystal panel.
In the sidelight type backlight proposed in JP-A-2005-196989, an LED module formed by soldering LEDs to a substrate is fixed to an LED housing that is U-shaped in section with, for example, an adhesive. In this case, when the LED module needs to be replaced because of deterioration of an LED, the backlight needs to be disassembled to take the LED housing out of the light guide plate so as to replace the whole LED housing. Even in the case where the LED module is fixed using a screw, the LED housing needs to be removed to unscrew the screw so as to replace the LED module.